Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1968)

Paulo Freire was exiled from Chile in 1964. Freire was the first director of the University of Recife's Cultural Extension Service that provided literacy programs to thousands of peasants. Freire and his coworkers taught the peasants not only skills for reading and writing, but they also introduced participation in the political process through knowledge of reading and writing as a desirable and attainable goal for all Brazilians. He inspired the poor to hope that they could have a voice in making life decisions. The Brazilian military and landowners were threatened by the peasant's desire for reform and to have their voices heard; they considered Freire's teaching to be radical. Freire was jailed, then sent into exile for his so-called "subversive" activities.